U should stay out of what doesn’t concern U … or else.
Chapter Fifteen
I spent a restless night, my dreams littered with thoughts of Ulla standing in front of a large book, laughing at Savannah, Candy, Wendy, and Ken, who all stood in front of her. She smiled haughtily at each of them, but when she turned, it was to point an accusing finger at a person who stood behind her, clothed in the shadows. A person wearing a well-worn red jacket. Then a faceless person in a long black robe started chasing me, waving the printed note aloft.
I woke to find Toby sprawled on the pillow on top of me, chewing my hair. At first I swatted him away, but that only made him more determined and he came closer, this time reaching out to swipe at my forehead with his tongue. It felt like sandpaper, and I pushed him away again. He returned, more determined than ever to groom me. He stuck out a paw and swatted gently at my cheek. I turned my head and caught a glimpse of the clock on my bedside table. Seven AM! I threw back the covers, startling Toby, and swung my feet off the bed and into my mule slippers. Toby glared at me balefully from where he’d burrowed back into my comforter. I reached out and gave him a quick pat on the head.
“Sorry, Tobes. Today’s my early day.”
Toby wriggled around on the comforter, into a sitting position. He raised his paw and pointed toward the piece of paper on my dresser. “Merow?”
“I have no idea how that got into my pocket, Tobes. It had to be someone in that bar, watching me, because I only left that jacket there for a few minutes. It could have been anyone, including Ken or Candy.”
Toby widened his big green eyes. “Ow-orrr?”
I reached out to ruffle his hair. “Of course, I’ll be extra careful. And yes, I plan on telling Will about it, even though I’ll probably get a lecture.”
Toby settled back into a supine position. “Merow,” he said, and then began to purr softly.
I pulled on my bathrobe and padded into the bathroom, where I took what was no doubt the quickest shower in history. I emerged ten minutes later, nice and clean and ready to face the world. I threw on jeans and a Friendly Paws T-shirt, swiped on some lip gloss, and made my way to the kitchen, Toby padding along beside me. I gave him his morning bowl of crunchies, but when I walked over to the cupboard where we kept the coffee, I saw that we were out. Drat. There wasn’t enough time to stop at Dayna’s either. I’d just have to make myself a cup when I got to the shelter. I picked up my cell and punched in Will’s number. Voicemail, of course. I left him a message, stuck my phone in my purse, and hurried out the door.
I pulled into the parking lot at one minute to eight, and I noticed Sissy’s beat-up VW almost immediately. The teen was already feeding the cats when I stepped inside. She tossed me a puzzled glance when she saw me. “Did you forget we switched?” she asked. “You said you’d take the late shift today, because—”
“You wanted to go to the high school basketball tryouts today.” I slapped my forehead with my palm and groaned. “Now I remember. I could have stayed in bed.”
Sissy spooned some wet food into Annie Reilly’s bowl. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Maybe it’s better I get an early start today anyway. I’ll come back tonight.” I turned toward the doorway, then paused. “You didn’t happen to find a silver necklace while you were unpacking the supplies yesterday, did you?”
Sissy finished filling the cat’s bowl, put it inside her cage, and then looked at me. “Nope. If I did I would have given it to you or Kat. Why?”
I explained about the missing necklace and Savannah’s call. “I do remember that necklace,” Sissy said. “When I’m done with the cats and walking the dogs, I’ll take another look. I’ll text you one way or the other.”
I said goodbye to Sissy and made my way to my car, pondering my next move. I knew darn well there was no way in hell Leila would be up yet. I’d heard her stumble in around two in the morning when I’d gotten up to go to the bathroom. I decided to make a stop at the Redi-Mart for some coffee and other sundries, but first I needed java desperately. I drove to Dayna’s shop and found a parking spot two doors down. The minute I walked in the door, I spotted Lois Galveston. She was seated at the counter, a steaming mug near her elbow, head bent over a sheet of paper in front of her. I started toward her, but Dayna suddenly appeared in front of me, a mug of delicious-smelling coffee in hand.
“I saw you from the window,” she said. She took my arm and steered me over to the opposite end of the counter from Lois. Once I’d slid onto the stool, she pressed the mug into my hand. “You look like a woman in dire need of caffeine.”
“Thanks. I am.” I put the mug to my lips and took a long sip. “Man, that’s good!”
“Jamaican Jumpin’ Java. Dark roast with a hint of coconut and hazelnut blended together.” She cocked her head toward the glass case next to the counter. “How about a fresh apple raisin muffin with sweet butter to go with?”
“Sounds like heaven.”
Dayna got a fresh muffin out of the case, split it in half, and slathered it with sweet butter. The muffin was still hot, so the butter was oozing and melting down the sides of the muffin and pooling on the plate. I took a large bite and sat back, rolling my eyes. “Oh … so … good.” I inclined my head toward Lois. “New applicant?”
Dayna nodded. “She said you recommended my place for employment.”
I drained my mug and set it off to the side. “She’s a recent transplant. Seems to be having a bit of a problem getting a job.”
“Well, times are tough these days. Maybe it’s those eyes of hers. She’s got that heavy-lidded way of staring at you, like she’s looking through you.”
“I noticed that too, but I don’t think that’s the reason. Her stare didn’t seem to faze them down at the police station. She applied for one of the admin slots.”
Dayna quirked a brow. “She did? Well, that will pay a lot more than I can offer.”
“Not if she doesn’t get it. She said Will told her she seemed overqualified.”
Dayna let out a soft snort. “Well, if she’s overqualified for that job, she’s probably really overqualified for one here.” She noticed my empty mug, grabbed it, and was back in a second with a refill. She set it in front of me and leaned both her elbows on the counter. “Any more news about Ulla’s death?” she asked.
I shook my head. “It’s definitely a puzzler. They expect the autopsy results in soon, though, so maybe that will shed some light on how she died.”
“All I can say is, it’s a good thing she didn’t eat any of my pastry. Could you imagine the headlines? ‘Shopping Channel Queen Felled by Local Baker’s Brownie.’ ” Dayna threw up her hands. “It didn’t take much to see she wasn’t a nice person. Most people were blinded by her peppy TV persona, though.”
“Someone wasn’t,” said a voice at my elbow. I glanced up and saw Lois now standing next to me. She had a paper in her hand, which she passed across to Dayna. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. I take it there’s no suspects yet? Or no clue as to the actual cause of death?”
“Not so far as I’ve heard,” I said.
“Her death—or should I say the circumstances of her death—is attracting a lot of media attention. People want details, which have been sparse, and they’re starting to speculate. I’m sure the police want to resolve it as quickly as possible.” Lois regarded me thoughtfully. “Any ideas? Diane told me you’re a pretty good sleuth.”
“Someone else apparently thinks so too. I had a warning note slipped to me last night.”
“No!” both Dayna and Lois chorused. I repeated the note’s contents, ending with, “My nosing around has struck a chord with someone.”
“Maybe you should stop investigating,” suggested Lois. “This person might mean business.”
Dayna let out a loud guffaw. “If you ask me, whoever did it must be a real coward. They also don’t know our Syd! When it comes to puzzles, she’s like a dog with a bone.”
“That’s true,” I admitted.
“I imagine this was meant as an attempt to get me to back off, but it’s having the opposite effect. If anything, I’m more determined than ever.” Not to mention the fact Maggie’s welfare is at stake, I added silently.
“You’re pretty tenacious,” Lois said. “I sympathize—I’m that way myself. Just be careful.”
“I intend to be.”
* * *
The front door opened and in came Tara Pitsenberger, her cousin Wendy Sweeting right on her heels. Tara had on a white skirt and a red and white flower-patterned blouse, her feet encased in red wedges. Wendy was dressed more casually, in gray Dockers with a white blouse underneath a cream and gray chiffon vest. Wendy slid into one of the small tables near the picture window, and Tara headed straight for the counter. She nodded her head in greeting and turned to peruse the delicious treats in the display case.
Dayna held up the application Lois had given her. “I’ll review this and be in touch,” she said. “Like I said, though, it’s only a part-time position, no more than twenty hours a week.”
“Anything’s a help at this point, thanks,” Lois murmured.
The door opened again and Jay Johnston strolled in. His eyes lit up in recognition as he saw me, and he headed straight for me. Lois mumbled something and returned to her seat as he approached. “Ms. McCall, good morning. I was going to give the shelter a call. My wife is most anxious to pick up Sylvie. We’re going over to the Pet Palace later to pick out supplies. We threw out everything of Trixie’s when she passed because she didn’t want another cat, but …” He spread his hands and smiled.
“I’d say tomorrow is a good bet. My sister was reviewing the applications yesterday. I’m sure she’ll be giving you a call.”
“Excellent.” He glanced over at Dayna. “I’ll take two extra-strong coffees to go. You wouldn’t happen to sell the paper in here, would you?”
“There’s a magazine rack over by the door,” Dayna sang out. Jay flashed her a quick smile and turned in that direction, bumping full tilt into Lois Galveston, who was making a beeline for the front door. Jay’s hand shot out to steady her. “I’m so sorry,” he said.
“My fault,” mumbled Lois. She ducked her head and pushed through the door like her pants were on fire.
“Well, someone’s in a big hurry,” Dayna commented. She looked over at Jay. “Don’t take all the blame; it was partially her fault too. She had her head down.” Dayna rolled her eyes and then offered Tara a smile. “You decide, honey?”
“Yes, one of those muffins—is that one blueberry?” At Dayna’s nod she went on, “A blueberry muffin and a raspberry scone. And do you have Hawaiian Kona coffee?”
“Not ready, but it will only take me a few minutes to brew some. Why don’t you take the pastries over to your table, and I’ll bring the coffee over when it’s ready?”
“That would be great, thanks.” She turned toward me and smiled. “How are you this morning, Syd?”
“Still recovering from yesterday’s events, I think. And you?”
“The same.” She wrinkled her pert nose. “I called my district manager yesterday. I figured it was best he hear it from me, before the news hit the national papers. He was distressed, of course, but he said I handled it just fine.”
“That’s good to hear.” I glanced over toward the table at Wendy, who sat slumped in the chair, her chin in her hand, staring morosely out the picture window. “How’s your cousin doing?”
Tara sighed. “Wendy’s getting very antsy, as are the others. They need to get back to Charleston, and”—she lowered her voice and whispered to me—“I hate to say this, but I can’t wait till she’s gone. All she did yesterday evening was follow me around the bookstore and mope and complain.”
“Maybe you should cut her some slack. She worked closely with Ulla. Her sudden death had to be upsetting.”
“Oh, I know. It’s just … there are times when I think she’s relieved the woman is gone.” Tara gave her head a shake. “She’s more worried about her job than anything, I think.”
“Really? I thought she produced other segments as well.”
“She does, but she’d done the bulk of Ulla’s for the past few months and now that she’s gone … well, I guess she’s wondering just how much she’ll be needed around the set.” Tara lowered her voice again and said softly, “Believe it or not, she doesn’t think she’s very well liked. I think that’s what’s got her worried.”
Tara picked up the tray and I pondered her words as I sipped my own coffee. While my interaction with the CNC had been brief, I hadn’t detected any animosity toward Wendy from any of them; rather, any ill will seemed to be directed toward Ulla. I remembered what Leila had said about Wendy instigating a lawsuit against Ulla. Ulla hadn’t been well liked either, but I knew from experience that the mere mention of lawsuits could throw people into a tizzy. Maybe word had gotten out she was thinking of starting it up again. Could that be why she felt like an outcast?
Jay Johnston came over, brandishing the morning Herald. “Looks like Ulla’s death is the top story,” he said. He held the paper out and I glanced at the headline: “Celebrity Dies at Charity Event.” Jay tapped the paper. “It’s a thorough account. It blends information about the signing with the tragedy. The reporter did an excellent job.”
“Thanks. She’s my best friend and my roomie. I’ll be sure to relay your praise.”
Dayna set two large Styrofoam cups in a to-go tray in front of Johnston. He whipped out his wallet and extracted a five-dollar bill, which he handed to Dayna. “Keep the change,” he told her. He reached up and tugged on his earlobe. “Funny thing, that woman I ran into—literally—at the magazine rack? Something about her just seemed so familiar to me.”
“Perhaps she reminds you of someone you know,” I suggested. “That sometimes happens to me. Or you could be remembering her from Ulla’s signing. She was there.”
He shrugged. “It’s not important. My wife tells me I get too fixated on things like that.” He picked up his tray and smiled at me. “I’ll tell Susan to expect a call from the shelter soon?”
“You bet.”
Jay sailed out the front door just as Dayna approached, balancing a tray on which rested two mugs, a small bowl of creamers and another of sugar. I held out my hands. “I’ll take it over,” I said. “I want to talk to Wendy anyway.”
Dayna put the tray into my outstretched hands. “Here you go. Are you sure you don’t want a part-time job here?” She winked and started to turn toward the stove, then suddenly did an about-face. “How about our bet? Has that nice young man tracked you down?”
Since Doug had said he’d come to the café asking about me, I figured there was no point in hiding anything. “I happened to run into him last night,” I admitted. “I was waiting for Leila at the bar in Antonio’s.”
Both of Dayna’s perfectly penciled eyebrows rose when I mentioned the upscale restaurant. She let out a low whistle. “And?” she prodded.
“He bought me a drink.”
The eyebrows arched higher. “That’s it?”
“He did inquire about my status. If I was in a relationship.”
“You told him yes?”
“Yes, but it didn’t appear to discourage him. So, truthfully, I’m not certain who won the bet,” I admitted.
“We’ll call it a draw … for now. He’s a gentleman. He knows you have a boyfriend, but …” She picked up my left hand and stroked my ring finger. “So long as there’s no diamond on here, chère, you’re fair game.”
“Oh, you.” I pulled my hand away and thrust it behind my back. “I think he might already be involved with someone anyway,” I said. “I saw him with Petra Littleton outside the restaurant.”
“You think he’s involved with Petra Littleton?”
“Well, he’s an attractive guy—”
“He’s a great-looking guy,” Dayna cut in.
“Right, a great-looking guy, and Petra is, well, Petra.” I looked down at my jeans and T-shirt. “No way
can I compete with her.”
“Maybe you don’t have to,” Dayna said. She refilled my mug, set it on the tray with the other two, and gave it a little push toward me. “You never know what Fate might have in store for you, down the road.” She paused. “And most of the time we’re better off not knowing. But I’ll tell you this. If that guy’s romantically involved with Petra Littleton, I’ll give you free coffee for a year.”
I narrowed my eyes. While Dayna loved to give away free stuff, she wasn’t that generous. “What do you know?” I demanded.
But she’d already turned away to wait on an elderly couple who’d come up to the register. With a sigh, I picked up the tray and headed toward Wendy and Tara’s table. They looked up, surprised, as I approached. “Dayna’s shorthanded, so I thought I’d help out,” I said. I set the two mugs down in front of them along with the creamers and sugar before picking up my own mug and settling into the chair opposite Wendy. “I hope you don’t mind if I join you?”
“Not at all.” Wendy poured two creamers into her coffee, stirred it, then took a long sip. “That’s heaven,” she murmured, setting the mug down. “Much better coffee than I got from room service at that inn this morning.”
“The Deer Park Inn recently changed hands,” I said. “A neighbor of one of our shelter volunteers bought it. They’re doing a good bit of remodeling, trying to compete with the Mountainside Inn.” The Mountainside Inn was a good bit larger and more upscale, located on the opposite end of town. They catered to more of a business clientele, while the Deer Park Inn was more of a homey, bed-and-breakfast type of establishment.
Tara nodded her head in agreement. “That’s true,” she said. “They’re in the process of hiring new chefs along with other key personnel, but right now they’re a bit in flux.”
“I guess that’s why the others all decided to jump ship and move over there. Especially Ken. He loves his morning coffee.” Wendy let out a throaty chuckle. “Oh well, lousy coffee is a small price to pay in exchange for the suite they gave me. I definitely wouldn’t have gotten that at the other hotel.”
Death by a Whisker Page 14